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BC’s Top 50 Fav Hip-Hop Songs of All Time (#30-21)

Today we continue with #30-21, and we are really getting into the best of the best right now. These 10 are all bangers, I can’t imagine where to go from here. Enjoy!

30. Big Punisher feat. Joe | “Still Not A Player”

Who would have thought “I’m not a playa, I just fuck a lot” would be THE golden pick-up line? With an O’Jays sample and Joe’s sultry hook, Ooooo man, this was a smooth song. Big Pun rhymed with a quickness and a nasty demeanor. He was over 600 lbs. of pure hip hop. He also put Fat Joe on the map (I’m still not sure if that’s a good thing).

29. Coolio feat. L.V. | “Gangster’s Paradise”

After a couple of minor upbeat hits, Coolio showed us his dark side. “Gangster’s Paradise” exhibited the regrets of his thug life, wanting to get out, and how his gang banging ways influence youths. L.V.’s meloncholy-yet-soulful hook coupled with a beautifully orchestrated Stevie Wonder sample made this a track of epic proportions. Let’s not forget the Dangerous Minds video starring Michelle Pfeiffer. It ran on MTV non-stop for like a year. By many, it is considered one of the best songs of ALL time, period.

28. Ludacris | “Get Back”

This is the ultimate hip hop fight song. Have a bad day and just want to get into a bar brawl? Throw on some Luda to tear it up. If this cut plays at a club, I guarantee dudes are breaking bottles and going buck wild.

27. Big Tymers | “Still Fly”

In the early 2000s, Cash Money was unstoppable. Juvenile was killing it on the airwaves, Lil’ Wayne hadn’t overstayed his welcome (yet), Birdman could actually write (since Mannie wrote most of that shit), and Mannie Fresh was one of the best producers in the game. Seriously though, leave it up to Birdman and Mannie Fresh to glorify rolling around in pimped-out whips without even being able to pay rent.

26. Snoop Dogg | “Who Am I (What’s My Name)?”

Along with Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, Snoop’s Doggystyle was not only one of the best albums of the G-Funk era, but one of the best hip hop albums ever. “Who Am I” had production from Dre (including a Funkadelic sample), and some of the smoothest rhymes Snoop has spit before or since.

25. Master P feat. No Limit Soldiers | “Make Em Say Uhh #2”

Master P’s No Limit Soldiers and Birdman’s Cash Money Millionaires dominated the charts in the late 90s and early 2000s, and firmly put New Orleans rap on the map. The No Limit anthem was undoubtedly “Make Em Say Uhh,” but it was the remix that really showed their gusto. The beat was heavier, and each verse was miles above those on the original. Even Mystikal being replaced by Snoop was a step up.

24. Naughty By Nature | “O.P.P.”

Let’s put this into perspective: “O.P.P.” was the debut single off of the debut album for Naughty By Nature, and hit #1 on the charts. Treach was only 21 years old. I couldn’t imagine that kind of success at 21, after the release of my FIRST album (For the music snobs, the group released ONE single as The New Style, but that shit don’t count). “O.P.P.” is the cheater’s hymn. There’s a membership and everything. Did I mention it samples a Jackson 5 song? Yeah, this song is THAT good.

23. Pimp C feat. Mike Jones & Bun B | “Pourin’ Up”

Pimp C’s solo effort, Pimpalation may not have gotten a lot of love from the pop charts, but it’s a staple in the hip hop world. “Pourin’ Up” had a banging beat and featured UGK partner Bun B (destroying tracks, as usual), and Houston rapper and rhyme recycler Mike Jones. We aren’t EVEN finished with the Dirty South jams on this list, so be prepared.

22. Warren G feat. Nate Dogg | “Regulate”

“Regulate,” in my opinion, is the theme of the G-funk era. Only Warren G could make a classic out of a Michael McDonald sample, and it showed us how great life was when Nate Dogg sang the hooks.

21. A Tribe Called Quest | “Scenario”

New York City’s A Tribe Called Quest are legends of hip hop, and Low End Theory is constantly in the running for Greatest Hip Hop album. “Scenario” was the third single off of Low End Theory, and one of the greatest posse cut songs. In fact, lines have popped up in songs by Das Racist, Kids in the Hall, The Knux, and Nicki Minaj. Plus, Busta Rhymes showed his skills to the world by spitting of the the greatest hip hop verses I have ever heard. EVER.